Construction has started on two new long-term care homes in Oakville that together will provide 640 modern care spaces for seniors, provincial officials announced on Aug. 25.
Project details and design aimed at smaller neighbourhoods
The homes, to be operated by Schlegel Villages and collectively branded as The Village of Heritage Trails, will be built on surplus provincial land as part of Ontario’s Surplus Lands program. The initiative is intended to turn unused government property into long-term care capacity where demand is growing.
Province officials say the development will include two 320-bed homes that will be physically connected on the first floor and designed to create smaller, more familiar living environments. Each home will contain 10 resident home areas, accommodating up to 32 residents per home area with their own dining and activity spaces as well as bedrooms.
“Our government is improving long-term care by building more homes, hiring more staff and making historic investments to support families and protect their loved ones,”
— Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care, in the provincial news release announcing the ground‑breaking.
Amenities, services and future housing on the site
The first-floor connection between the two homes will include a designed “main street” with shared amenities aimed at community life and programming: a library, spiritual centre, café and common areas. The site will also feature a health centre, spa, corner store and pharmacy.
Schlegel Villages has indicated intentions to add retirement housing as part of future development on the same site, offering additional options for local seniors, though precise details and timelines for those units were not provided in the provincial announcement.
Timeline, capacity and local impact
According to the province, the Village of Heritage Trails is expected to welcome its first residents in summer 2028. When complete, the homes will consist of 554 new spaces and 86 upgraded spaces.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total beds | 640 |
| Homes | Two (320 beds each) |
| New vs. upgraded spaces | 554 new / 86 upgraded |
| Expected first residents | Summer 2028 |
Province spokespeople framed the project as part of a broader plan to create jobs and build care capacity across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area by making use of provincial surplus lands. The announcement emphasised the government’s aim to ensure long-term care residents receive improved care and quality of life.
What it means for Oakville residents
For Oakville, the project represents a substantial addition to local long-term care inventory. The emphasis on smaller “resident home areas” mirrors trends in the sector toward neighbourhood-style designs intended to reduce institutional feeling and support social programming. Shared amenities such as the café, library and spiritual centre are intended to support engagement for residents and visitors.
The development will also have implications for the local workforce: the homes, once open, will require a range of staff from personal support workers and nurses to program and facility staff. The province framed the investment as creating “good-paying jobs” as part of building for the future.
Key outstanding items for residents and municipal planners include details on traffic and parking, community integration of the main-street retail and services, and timelines for the proposed retirement housing. The news release did not specify the exact location within Oakville beyond noting the use of provincial surplus lands in the GTHA, nor did it provide a construction schedule beyond the anticipated move-in window.
- Scale: Two 320-bed homes, 640 total spaces.
- Design: 10 resident home areas per home, main-street amenities.
- Timeline: First residents expected in summer 2028.
As construction proceeds, local residents can expect more detailed project plans, community consultations on ancillary impacts and future announcements on employment opportunities through Schlegel Villages and the province.
